DeLeon Insight- September 2025 Cover Page

The DeLeon Insight – September 2025



Why Buyers Love Palo Alto So Much

By Ken DeLeon | Founder While I appreciate all of Silicon Valley, Palo Alto is the city I love the most and which I call home. From the moment I interviewed at Wilson Sonsini twenty years ago, I immediately fell in love with our amazing city. Over…

The Allure of Double-Ending

By Michael Repka, ESQ | CEO & General Counsel On a financial level, it is understandable why real estate agents want to represent both the buyer and seller on the same transaction: it means double commission. Naturally, agents want to justify…

A Shot Across California’s Bow

By Michael Repka, ESQ | CEO & General Counsel (LL.M.—Taxation, NYU School of Law) Since the earliest hints at the substance of President Trump’s new tax proposal, there has been one element that has remained consistent—the elimination…

Predicting the Next Hot City

by Ken DeLeon | Founder While a rising tide will lift all boats, in real estate these boats (or neighborhoods) will not all rise at the same velocity. Though there are some mega-trends driving the housing market in Silicon Valley, there are…

Appreciation Rate Comparisons Show Surprising Results

  A common and understandable perception regarding appreciation rates is that single-family residences appreciate at a higher rate than condos and townhomes. Based on the appreciation rates for the past 17 years (2000-2017), this has been the…

The Tale of Two Cities on One Avenue

By Ken DeLeon | Founder I have truly loved my last few months living in Atherton.  The streets are so lush and the beautifully landscaped homes now make my drive to work seem more like taking a relaxing stroll through a magical park.  Atherton…

Neighborhood Spotlight: Crescent Park of Palo Alto

Crescent Park is one of Palo Alto’s most prestigious neighborhoods. It is bordered by Channing Avenue, Middlefield Road, Newell Road, and San Francisquito Creek. This enclave is one of the first glimpses of Palo Alto that visitors can see as they…

Why Buyers Love ATHERTON So Much

By Ken DeLeon | Founder While Atherton is internationally famous for its natural beauty and affluence, wise residents know that it is the idyllic charm of this community coupled with its great schools and high quality of life that makes it so attractive…

2017: Year in Review

By Ken DeLeon, ESQ. and Michael Repka, ESQ. It started off with the area—and the nation as a whole—adjusting to the notion of a Trump presidency. During the latter half of 2016, the market was quite lethargic as voters remained cautious due…

How the New Tax Legislation Could Impact California Real Estate